Fema

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Officials say nearly 25,000 families, individuals and businesses in Illinois have been approved for more than $51 million in federal aid following September flooding and storms. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said Friday that almost $39 million went to temporary housing and home repairs. FEMA officials approved $4.6 million for medical expenses, transportation or replacing lost personal property. And the U.S. Small Business Administration approved almost $7.5 million in disaster loans.

MUNSTER, Ind. -- Applications for emergency food stamps are outpacing those for federal disaster assistance more than 2-to-1 at recovery centers in flood-stricken northwest Indiana, officials say. Disaster recovery centers in Lake, Porter and LaPorte counties processed 5,000 food stamp applications in the first two days of operation and were on track to process that many again on Saturday, said Andy Miller, director of the Indiana Office of...

More than 45,000 Illinois flood victims have applied for federal disaster aid since mid-August, officials from the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced today. The agency has allocated more than $78 million and distributed $75 million in assistance since President Barack Obama declared Cook, DuPage and five other Illinois counties federal disaster areas on Aug. 19. The average aid package is around $3,000, FEMA officials said. There's no cap on the amount of aid that will be distributed.

This is the last week for residents affected by flooding from Hurricane Ike to meet with a FEMA specialist, officials said. The disaster-recovery center in Oak Forest will close at 6 p.m. Friday, officials said. Future requests for information will be handled over a toll-free hot line. The Federal Emergency Management Agency opened the center at Oak Forest Hospital, 15900 S. Cicero Ave., to serve residents affected by severe storms in eight northeast Illinois counties from Sept.

Two federal recovery centers are scheduled to open Tuesday in Chicago and Wheaton to help those affected by last month's flooding in the seven northern Illinois counties that have been declared disaster areas. People can register for federal assistance by phone or online. Visiting the centers is not required. Call the Federal Emergency Management Agency at 800-621-3362, or 800-462-7585 for hearing- and speech-impaired. Registration is also available online at www.fema.

The garage of Adrianne Granger's Hillside home is still speckled with a brownish-black mold that climbs three feet up its otherwise white walls. Her hot water heater, washing machine and wood flooring were destroyed in last month's flash floods that drenched many western suburbs and parts of Chicago's West Side. So Granger was encouraged Thursday when President Barack Obama declared Cook, DuPage and five other Illinois counties disaster areas. That allows residents and businesses that suffered flood damage to apply for aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Federal and state officials have opened two more disaster-recovery centers for people affected by last month's flooding. Residents can get help and information at offices in Des Plaines at 1486 Miner St., next to the Des Plaines Theatre; and at Oak Forest Hospital, 15900 S. Cicero Ave., Oak Forest. The offices are open from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily. Centers already have been opened at 3600 W. Foster Ave., Chicago; and 421 N. County Farm Rd., Wheaton. Before visiting, residents should apply online at www.fema.

Local units of government in Cook County will be reimbursed for costs incurred during the heavy September flooding, county and federal officials are scheduled to announce this morning. Cook County Board President Todd Stroger will be joined by Federal Emergency Management Agency officials, suburban mayors and Cook County commissioners at a 10 a.m. news conference in Oak Lawn. Stroger also will encourage residents to use three local FEMA-staffed Disaster Recovery Centers for help in obtaining disaster assistance.

CHICAGO -- Federal officials said today more than 16,000 families, individuals and businesses have been approved for nearly $39 million in federal aid following September flooding and storms in northeastern Illinois. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said more than $31 million went to temporary housing and home repairs. FEMA officials approved $3.4 million for medical expenses, transportation or replacing lost personal property. And the U.S. Small Business Administration approved almost $4 million in disaster loans.

President Obama today signed a disaster declaration for Cook and DuPage counties and other parts of Illinois that were damaged by severe storms and flooding in late July and early August, according to a news release from the White House. The President's action makes federal funding available to affected individuals to supplement state and local recovery efforts in Carroll, Cook, DuPage, Jo Daviess, Ogle, Stephenson and Winnebago counties, according to the release. According to the release, "assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses, and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.